It had been a couple of days, nearly a full week since the day it happened. Leila had a new routine, she woke up in the studio, she had one of the protein bars the boys had stashed there, she went to school, she came back, and she stared at the boys' things until eventually, she fell asleep. This routine was repeated daily, a few times Bobby would come over, leaving the second he saw her enter the studio, other times Jasper would text her, mostly asking how she was other times he would ask where she was, she answered none of the messages leaving him on read and avoiding him at school until today.
It started like normal, well Leila's new normal anyhow. She got off the couch which she never bothered to turn into the bed, she would change into one of the two outfits she had left, she threw her hair in a messy bun and grabbed her protein bar, grimacing when she noticed she only had a few left. She ate the protein bar as she picked up her backpack and threw it over her shoulder, her stomach grumbling with every move. The protein bar wasn't nearly enough food for the girl not when that's all she would eat all day however Leila couldn't find it in her to care much.
By the time she arrived at the bus stop she had finished the bar, throwing the wrapper in the nearby trash can before hopping on the bus, avoiding eye contact, and ignoring the whispers as she sat down in the very back. Alone. Like she always was nowadays.
Once she arrived at school, minutes began to pass by like seconds as she numbly passed through her classes paying little to no attention to the teachers who would sigh and give her pitying looks as they spoke.
Before Leila knew it she was walking out of school, ready to head back to the bus to go back to the studio when someone grabbed onto her, the previous shout of her name having gone unheard by the girl.
Leila turned around to see who had grabbed onto her, shaking her out of the numb mood she should have been in for the rest of the day. Leila rolled her eyes when she found Jasper standing there. She should have known really. "What do you want Jasper?" Her voice was hoarse, sounding worse than she thought it would and she knew Jasper noticed, there was no way he couldn't, the grimace he tried to hide upon hearing her rough voice-only confirming it.
As she waited for him to answer her, she wondered when the last time she spoke was, before she could find the answer, Jasper spoke, "Are you coming to the competition today?"
Leila furrowed her brows. What competition? "What?"
Jasper seemed to be shocked that, even in her state, she had forgotten about the competition. "Only the biggest competition of our lives." Jasper replied.
Leila's eyes widened before they softened again as she thought it over for a second. Ah yes, the competition she had previously been excited about for weeks, training non-stop. A lot of things had changed in so little time and the girl hadn't even realized it. "I'm not going." Leila told him with no hesitance.
"What do you mean you're not going? Leila I know you're going through a really hard time right now but this could get you a scholarship, they wouldn't want you to-" Jasper was quickly cut off by Leila who was suddenly filled with rage.
"What they would want? They would want to be alive right now, Jasper, playing their music, but they can't so I'm sorry if me grieving over my best friends and my twin brother isn't important to you, but frankly I think me grieving is much more important than some stupid scholarship."
Without another word Leila turned and made to get away from the boy she used to call her dancer best friend however before she could, he called out to her once more. "Wait!"
Unable to stop herself, she turned back to him. "What Jasper? I'm gonna miss my bus."
His brows were furrowed however they were no longer furrowed in shock and confusion but concern. "Where are you staying?"
Leila was shocked, to say the least, and confused as well however she didn't let it show not for one second. Instead, she answered honestly, keeping her words short and her voice uncaring as she wished she had something to drink however she had stopped bringing water to school, stopped caring enough to even think about it. "The studio."
"You can't stay there Leila." Jasper told her softly, Leila scoffed, and went to argue when Jasper spoke again, "Your parents are worried. Let me take you to your house, please." He was desperate and concerned, that was clear.
Leila wanted to fight. She wanted to fight so badly. However her mind went to her bed in her room and the food they had, the curtains she could close to hide from everything including the sun, and she couldn't find it in herself to fight. She nodded weakly before answering. "Alright."
Jasper couldn't help it, he grinned. "Alright?"
Leila took a gulp and a deep breath before repeating herself. "Alright."
Jasper's grin grew until he saw Leila struggling to hold her backpack on her shoulder, her usual strength seemingly disappearing at that moment as his eyes widened, rushing to take the heavy backpack from her.
He immediately noticed when she was about to argue about it and stopped her. "I can carry it, Leila." He said it in a reassuring tone and ignored the annoyed huff and roll of her eyes that she offered in reply, instead he spoke again. "Come on let's take you home."
Leila nodded becoming numb again at the mention of that cursed word that was just about as bad as saying their names these days, after all, they were her home.
Jasper sighed as he noticed her change but said nothing as he walked the girl home, thankful that she would be somewhere he knew she would be safe, where instead of sending her desperate text messages where he could only hope she would reply he could go check on her himself.
He had never been invited to the band's studio, Leila's dance life and regular life were usually kept separate as Leila liked it, however, he wasn't giving her a choice anymore. She needed someone no matter what life they were apart of and he would gladly be that someone if it meant she wouldn't be alone.
